You Will Always Be My Baby
by Stefanotis
Summary: Every child throws tantrums. Even Nightwing and Starfire's child.


Stay quiet

Don't make a sound.

Hide.

Don't make a sound.

Wait for daddy or mommy.

And don't make a sound.

If daddy and mommy don't come then wait for Pa.

If Pa doesn't come then wait for Uncle Tim.

If Uncle Tim doesn't come then wait for Uncle Jay.

If Uncle Jay doesn't come then wait for Pa Alf.

Someone will come.

Mar'i wasn't scared. No. Mar'i is a tough girl. Mar'i is a brave girl.

She yelled at daddy last night.

Daddy always treats her like a baby.

It was the first time she yelled at him like that.

Mar'i wanted to go out at night and play superhero with daddy.

Mommy told her she needed to wait until she's much much older.

Daddy told her that she's just a baby and would get hurt.

Mar'i crossed her arms and stood up on the coffee table. She told him that she's grown up now. She's two years old and a big girl. She doesn't need mommy or daddy protecting her.

Daddy sternly said no and to get off the coffee table.

Mar'i stomped her foot in frustration, the footsie pajamas almost making her slip off.

Daddy looked mean.

"Mar'i, daddy doesn't have time for this" he told her. "I have to go to work. Get down from there."

He never has time for Mar'i anymore.

Mommy was on daddy's side and didn't stand up for Mar'i. She also told Mar'i to get down from the coffee table before she got hurt.

She stomped her foot again and yelled, "No!"

Daddy raised his eyebrows at her. "Young lady, don't you make me count to three."

She was getting annoyed. She wanted it her way. She wanted to go on patrol with daddy.

"One" he started.

"Daddy!" she yelled and stomped.

"Two" he continued.

"No counting!" she continued to yell.

"Three" he finished.

"Daddy you shut up!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Mar'i told daddy to shut up.

She looked at mommy who placed a hand on her chest and did not seem happy.

She looked at daddy who just blinked at her.

He pointed his finger to the door and with a monster face told Mar'i to go to her room.

Mar'i ran to her room in tears. She slammed the door loudly and hid under the covers of her bed.

Daddy was so mean to her. He never yelled at her like that or got angry with her. Mar'i thought she was too cute to get in trouble. Daddy works too much at night. She just wanted to play with daddy and have fun.

She cried under the covers and heard the door click before a hand touched her back.

"Mar'i sweetheart?" Mommy asked. "We need to talk."

"I no like daddy!" Mar'i cried.

Mommy sucked in a breath and made a disapproving sound. "Oh no baby. You do not mean that."

She forcefully removed the covers and crossed her arms. "I mean it! He yelled at me!"

Mommy wiped the fallen tears from Mar'i's eyes. "Daddy got upset with you. Telling daddy or mommy to shut up is very disrespectful. Do you understand why?"

She pouted and shook her head.

"Shut up is a bad word for someone your age" she told her two-year old. "Especially when you say it to mommy or daddy or any of your uncles or even pa. We do not want you to say it again."

She turned away from her mother. "Daddy too mean!" she yelled. "Tell daddy no come home!"

"You hurt daddy's feelings" Mommy continued.

"He no love me" she said.

Mommy rubbed her back and let out a laugh. "Of course daddy loves you. He will never do anything to hurt you. You need to tell daddy that you're sorry."

She shook her head and groaned loudly. "Go away!" Mar'i told her.

Mommy sighed and kissed the top of her head. She would wait until tomorrow to discuss what happened. Her daughter's tantrum was just too much right now for a lecture.

Mar'i cried herself to sleep. She didn't want to see daddy when he came home. She didn't want him to yell at her again.

She woke up in the middle of the night. She heard a noise. A very loud noise that scared her.

Her tiny legs worked and she quietly got out of bed and ran to the hideaway room. The hideaway room is where Mar'i was taught to go when someone breaks into their home or a bad person comes in. Daddy taught her where the room is and what to do when something bad like this happens. She needs to stay quiet and wait for someone to get her.

Don't make a sound and don't let the bad guys know she's here.

Daddy will know if the hideaway room is being used.

Daddy told her he would always come to get her.

Mar'i started to get scared.

She's been in the room for a long long time. No one is coming for her.

She wrapped her arms around her legs and silently cried.

She wants daddy.

Where is daddy?

He promised he'd always come and get her.

She told daddy to shut up and now he's mad at her. He doesn't want to come and get her anymore.

"I want daddy" she cried to herself.

There was a sound on the other side of the door and Mar'i stilled in fright, knowing the bad guys might hurt her.

"Mar'i?"

Daddy.

The lights flicked on and she looked at daddy's eyes.

"Mar'i?" he asked again. "What are you doing in here?"

She stood up and ran over to him with her arms wide open. Daddy crouched down to her level and lifted his raven haired child up. He held her close to his chest and his arms tightened around her.

"Daddy!" she cried in his neck. "I too scared!"

He rubbed her back and kissed her on the head. "Shh baby, you did good."

"Bad guy!" she cried.

Daddy let out a tiny laugh. "No baby, it was just the wind. There's a storm coming in."

She lifted her head away and looked at him. "Daddy you come?"

"Of course I came" he said in disbelief of the question. "Daddy told you he'll always come for you."

Mar'i looked upset and daddy asked her what was wrong.

"You no like me more?" she asked.

Daddy's eyes looked sad. "What? Baby no. Daddy will always love you."

"I say shut up" she quietly said.

He let out another laugh. "I know. We will talk about that tomorrow but baby you need to understand that daddy will always love you no matter what."

Mar'i smiled and placed her face back in the crook of his neck. "I sorry daddy."

"Shh" he quieted her. "Daddy knows you didn't mean it."

Thunder and lightening struck and she shook in fright. Daddy tightened his grip on her.

"Daddy is proud of you" he said as he walked with her in his arms. "You knew exactly what to do in a bad situation. You really are a big girl now."

"I no big girl" she said drowsily. "I your baby"

She felt another kiss on the head. "You'll always be my baby."

"Daddy?" she asked him.

"Hmm?"

"I sleep with you and mommy tonight?" she asked.

He was already in their bedroom before he could answer her. He placed her in the middle of them, Mommy was awake enough to give them both a kiss before falling back asleep.

Daddy watched his baby quietly snore with parted lips.

"I will always protect you" he whispered to her.

* * *

Because not even Nightwing and Starfire's kid is that pure of an angel.

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